Active electrical lighting using neon tubes became popular in the 1920's and developed into a “pop” art form in the United States. Neon lighting became widely used for advertising and sign display. Its brightness and variable color could be relied upon to attract attention. However there are now a number of disadvantages associated with active electrical neon lighting. Such active electrical lighting has fallen out of favor and is banned or closely controlled by zoning and sign ordinances in many towns, municipalities and cities. Second, there are limitations on the complexity of alphanumeric and graphic sign displays inherent in using neon tubes. Neon tubes place a limitation on the configurations that can be achieved. Finally, an active electrical power supply is always required to cause light discharge from the neon gas confined in the tubes.
Existing neon-like display devices are overly complicated in design and, as a result, time-consuming and expensive to manufacture. Moreover, the light source in such neon-like displays has conventionally been spaced-apart from the face-plate of the display thereby limiting the design options of such devices. For example, original works of art, such as company logos, are not readily reproducible on conventional neon-like displays. Further, the light energy in conventional displays is not utilized with great efficiency. As a result, such conventional neon-like displays consume excess power and are costly to use.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a display device capable of producing the even glow and brightness of neon light that is efficient in design and easy to manufacture.
It would also be desirable to provide a display device capable of producing the even glow and brightness of neon light in which the light source is adjacent to or disposed within one of the components making up the indicia to be illuminated in the display, thereby expanding the design options for such devices.
It is further desirable to provide a display device capable of producing the even glow and brightness of neon light which efficiently utilizes light energy and is therefore less expensive to operate.
It is also desirable to provide a display device capable of producing the even glow and brightness of neon light on which original works of art and/or company logos can be more accurately reproduced.